Is your drywall affecting your health and home value?

On behalf of Lundy Lundy Soileau South LLP posted in blog on Sunday, April 22, 2018.

Living in Louisiana, the chances are you survived a major hurricane or your home sustained hurricane damage before you moved in. If this is the case, your house may have gone through a renovation to repair the damage caused by wind, rain and flooding. Your home may seem to be in good shape now, but if you are experiencing several specific symptoms, Chinese drywall may be to blame.

During the infamous 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, thousands of homes throughout the South sustained major damage. Mass renovations of damaged homes in the following months caused a shortage of domestic drywall, and contractors had to use drywall imported from other countries, particularly China.

Louisiana is one of the top states with homeowners who are experiencing negative effects related to substandard foreign drywall. Reportedly, Chinese drywall contains hydrogen sulfide, which has been known to cause adverse health effects and impact home values when the chemical leaches from the drywall into the air. The following signs might suggest Chinese drywall is present in your home:

If you know your home was damaged in a hurricane or renovated between 2001 and 2009, you may want to consult a home inspector to see if Chinese drywall is present. It can be costly and time-consuming to replace substandard drywall, and as you might imagine, selling your home with Chinese drywall could affect the price or result in a legal liability. Since the health of you and your family members may also be at risk, you would want to take immediate steps to address the situation if you have this drywall in your home.

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